Record numbers use IRS' e-file in 2009

People have used the Internal Revenue Service’s e-file technology to submit 95 million federal income tax returns so far in 2009, up almost 6 percent from last year’s total of nearly 90 million, IRS officials announced today.

Of the 141 million returns filed so far this year, more than 67 percent were filed electronically, compared with 59 percent last year, according to the IRS.

Although the total number of tax returns increased 10 percent in the past decade, the number filed electronically has increased 168 percent in the same time, according to the IRS.

Taxpayers who use a home computer to file taxes electronically are an increasingly significant segment of e-filers, IRS officials said. More than a third of electronic returns — more than 32 million — were filed from a home computer, which represents an increase of almost 19 percent from last year’s record of 27 million. Other e-filers use accountants and tax-preparation services.

More than 3 million taxpayers filed their tax returns for free through the IRS Free File program, officials said.